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Featured Artist

“We are the Toribio Díaz family. We were born in San Juan Cotzacon, in the state of Oaxaca. Since we were very young we learned the techniques of brocade using the waist loom. The practice of weaving with the waist loom has been practiced in our town for generations. Our family was one of those who decided to preserve this beautiful tradition.

“We started by observing our parents as a daily activity, and in this way we began to be fascinated by the beautiful brocades that our mother made each day. It was a fun challenge: the sleepless nights, and learning to make mistakes and move on. Our great tool which has allowed us to grow every day, is to be aware that we do what we love, and this allows us to share our passion with other people. We particularly love expanding our techniques for fabrics; and to expand our knowledge and offer a wide variety of styles to our customers.

“The process of each of our pieces begins from visualizing the colors, what texture it will have, how we will combine the colors, and above all, what we wish to transmit with it. Our inspiration is always the nature of our surroundings, and each touch that makes our beloved San Juan Cotzacon authentic.

“Our main raw material is cotton fabric (we love its versatility), and the mercerized thread that is used to make brocades; which we get in Villa de Mitla. Each one of the corresponding activities is distributed according to each one's taste, from the direct contact with each one of our clients, to attending the fairs and exhibitions, and the bulk creation of each of the styles we work with.

“Our desire at the beginning of this project was to consolidate our work and share it with the respectful people and lovers of our Mexican folklore. We learned the beautiful value of discipline and hard work; but above all, trusting ourselves on the fly. Realizing that we are capable of being disciplined gave us a drive that we never imagined.

“We love sharing our work, it has given us experiences that allow us to remain focused on our mission. One of the challenges was not speaking the English language, so we communicated through signs with our foreign clients. Our next goal is to preserve the artisanal technique of the waist loom brocade; demonstrating the pre-Hispanic ancestral motifs. We are always innovating and perfecting our techniques, with a specific goal of maintaining quality.”